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Cohousing

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Cohousing is a method of living that has become established in several countries around the world. Created and run by residents, cohousingdevelopments are communities where people not only know their neighbours but actively manage their neighbourhood alongside them.

Small enough that everyone can be familiar with each other, but large enough not to force them to be, cohousingcommunities are built around a shared desire for a sense of belonging, neighbourliness and mutual support that many people feel is missing from modern life and contemporary housing developments.

In cohousingcommunities, just as in conventional neighbourhoods, residents own or rent their own private homes. But everyone also benefits from extra shared facilities and spaces that allow members to do things together. Shared outdoor spaces provide opportunities to grow food, play and be close to nature, and a shared Common House provides additional indoor space for residents to meet, eat and socialise together. Car parking tends to be kept to a minimum and located at the periphery, allowing the central spaces close to homes to be used for other things.

Living in a cohousingcommunity brings a few extra responsibilities – residents are encouraged to be actively involved in running the place – but many more benefits. This way of living is part of mainstream housing development in many European countries and has a growing presence in the US. In the UK there are several completed purpose-built cohousing schemes – and many more in the planning or delivery stages.

The UK Cohousing Network is the principal resource for cohousing groups in the UK and its website lists dozens of active cohousing groups across the country. While many are open to all and actively seek a generational mix, some may be exclusively for older people. Some are new build; others conversions of existing property. All cohousingprojects tend to have a strong focus on engendering more sustainable ways of living.

Marmalade Lane - formerly known as K1 - is one of a growing number of cohousing schemes being realised in the UK.

Marmalade Lane is a cohousingproject that is being delivered in Orchard Park, Cambridge. The site was owned by Cambridge CityCouncil, who following the 2007-8 financial crisis took the decision to use its landholding to bring forward an alternative form of community-led housingdevelopment.

Marmalade Lane comprises a series of terraces together with a purpose-buildapartment block, laid out around a large central shared garden. The centrally-located Common House will provide a large dining area, catering kitchen, laundry and a range of ancillary spaces and facilities for the group to use.